Exciting News ! 

Check out the July 2011 issue Of "Bay Woof" and you

will see an article titled "What Drives Your Dog"

written by yours truly !

Just click here !

Dogs and Fireworks: A Top Ten Survival Guide

During the upcoming Fourth Of July weekend, dogs across the country will react with fear and anxiety to all of the firework celebrations.

The noise of fireworks can be extremely stressful for dogs. I recommend these top ten strategies to dog owners, to help you through the July 4th weekend.

1. DO expose your dog to loud, unexpected noises on a regular basis, especially leading up to an event that includes firework celebrations. Drop pot lids, toss a soda can with a few pennies in it, slam a door: anything to get your dog accustomed to being startled, so he can practice recovering quickly.

Learning From Your Dog - Stop...Look...Listen !

Our dogs are "speaking" to us all the time, primarily through body language and energy - the same way dogs communicate with each other !

It behooves us to learn as much as possible about the signals our dogs are giving us - this helps immensely when we are training our dogs, and can also be a crucial factor when it comes to intervening (via distraction and/or redirection) at the right time in order to thwart a potential problem.  This is especially important when your dog has a high prey drive or, perhaps, the tendency to go into "fight" mode at the slightest provocation.  We want to redirect before your dog has the opportunity to escalate, and, as they say, timing is everything !

So, when you are walking your dog, if you have a habit of constantly scanning the environment for possible triggers, try instead to pay attention to your dog's body language.  Are his ears forward, what is the base of his tail doing, is his brow furrowed, is he "tracking" or staring, is his gait relaxed ?  Oftentimes, our dogs will alert us to something before we notice it, and this is the opportune time to do something different ! 

What to do ?  Well, depending upon the situation, you can change directions, change your pace, ask your dog to look at you as you continue to walk, lightly jiggle the leash, ask your dog to perform a command and reward him appropriately, and most importantly of all, check in with yourself and make sure that you are relaxed !

Strive to be like the Fonz...or Joe Montana...or the Apollo 13 astronauts !  Focus and relaxation under pressure is key !  Dogs are master communicators, and they can sense your tension immediately, and this implies to them that there is, indeed, something to be concerned about !

It takes time and patience to teach yourself how to be relaxed, particularly if your dog walking experiences have historically been fraught with struggles and anxiety.  Questions to ask yourself include "Are my arms relaxed, am I breathing normally, am I breathing at all, is my jaw tense, are my hands tightly gripping the leash, am I speaking to my dog in a nervous baby talk tone, etc...?". 

Remember, we cannot ask our dogs to be relaxed if we are not.  First things first - self awareness, make adjustments as necessary, have a game plan, and expect good things to happen !

To learn more about the body language of dogs, click here to read an article titled "Dog Language: How To Become Bow-lingual".  There are several useful links embedded in this article which you can investigate as well.

Finally, here is a Canine Body Language Chart which summarizes some typical stances, postures, and signals which are universal in the canine world.  Familiarizing yourself with these will help you be able to interpret what your dog is saying ! 

Keeping Your Dog Safe During

The Winter Holiday Season !

For all of the beauty of the season, holiday time

can be a particularly dangerous time for our

beloved pets, even in our own homes !

Keep your dogs safe by being aware of the

following potential dangers:

Plants: Christmas cactus, hemlock, holly, ivy, mistletoe and poinsettia. The effects of ingestion can range from mild gastro-intestinal upset to extreme toxicity. Safety Tips: Spray with Bitter Apple repellant. Immediately collect and dispose of dead leaves, stems, or berries.

Trees: Live trees including juniper, fir, balsam and cedar can contain sap or be treated with preserva-

tives that can cause gastro-intestinal problems or

mouth irritation.  The needles from these trees

are not digestible and, if eaten, can result in

a puncture of the intestines. In addition, trees can

be toppled over or used as a place for urination. 

Safety Tips: Set up your tree in a room that is inaccessible to your dog, or, if this is not possible, place decorative fencing around the tree.  Be sure

to anchor your tree with sturdy weights and place a plastic tarp on the floor.  Hang your decorations on

the higher branches and securely attach them for

added safety.

Decorations: Tinsel, angel hair, faux icicles, artificial snow, and ornaments - all of these can be

potentially fatal to your dog !  Safety Tips: When trimming your tree, be vigilant about cleaning up as you go so your dog does not have the opportunity to ingest any of these items while your attention is elsewhere.  Follow the safety tips above for trees for greater security.   Do not use edible

ornaments or garlands made from food.  Rather

than using metal hooks to attach ornaments to the

tree, use double knotted ribbon instead.

Lights And Electrical Cords: Dogs can get

tangled in the strands of lights or electrical cords.

Chewing on the cords can cause your dog to get

shocked, burned or electrocuted.  Safety Tips: When

running electrical cords, place them in a PVC sleeve, under rugs, behind or under heavy furniture, or fasten them securely to the floor.  String your Christmas lights carefully through the interior of the tree, and run the cord underneath the tree skirt.

Gift Wrapping Items: Everything from bubble wrap to ribbon to packaging peanuts to trim to wrapping foil needs to be promptly and properly disposed of.  Safety Tip: If your dog is to be included in the gift giving, wrap his / her present loosely in plain paper and be there to supervise during the unwrapping.....just to be sure ! 

Fireplaces And Wood Stoves: The dangers here include hot coals and ashes, popping or crackling logs, sparks and color salt additives.  In addition to burns, your dog may also suffer bronchial or digestive distress and skin irritation.  Safety Tips: Always use a fine mesh or solid fireplace screen while the fireplace is in use.  Keep your fireplace clean of ashes and debris and the doors to the fireplace closed when not in use. 

Candles And Potpourri: There is nothing quite as lovely as the glow of candles, but it is important to be cautious when using them, especially in households with pets.  Potpourri adds a wonderful seasonal element to ones home, but carries a certain amount of risk as well.  Safety Tips: Be sure to place lit candles in areas completely inaccessible to your dog, and to blow them out when you are done enjoying them.  Keep potpourri well out of the reach of your dog as ingesting it can cause problems ranging from gastro-intestinal upset to toxicity.